The Trojan Horse

Make Afar Great Again thought of the Day!!!!


We all heard the expression life is like a marathon not a sprint. So is politics. Some so called politicians seems not to understand this simple principle. Some will never grasp this concept or learn from it .


This Napoleon Bonaparte quotes dawned on me ”In politics stupidity is not an handicap”. Eureka!!!! I understand, now, where these guys are coming from.


This is exactly the repetitive behaviour of Afar People Party Chairman Dr Konté and Mr Gaas the Afar Human Rights Organisation.


They both keep racing to be co-opted by the regime of the day in Ethiopia, in the hope of bypassing the people mandate. Afar people mandate. The co-optation, the old TPLF rogue regime prised method that brought its downfall. You cannot by-pass people will forever.


Dr Konte et Mr Gaas came racing, in September 2018 when TPLF Woyaneh regime was brought down by Oromos Queeros and Dr Abiy Ahmed was chosen as Prime Minister in April 2018.


They came,again, running in middle of a war between Afar and Issas invaders. They did not show concerns or compassions for the Afar civilians and youngsters dying by sacrificing their lives to defend their land from Issa to live free on their land.


Even if you prefer sprinting to marathon you have to make sure that there is a level playing field, rules to abide by to validate the race.


You have to listen to the event officials instructions. Get in the starting blocks. Follow the officials instructions as they prompt you to get ready for the race starting gun shot.
The timing here is of the essence. You can only leave the starting blocks when the official fires the gun. If you leave, the starting blocks, before the official stops the race by firing the gun again. The false starter is given a first warning. They start the race process, above again. If the same person trigger another false start again he is disqualified from the whole race. Two strikes and you are out. He cannot take part in the race.


The above analogy applies to Dr Konte and Mr Gaas. They have twice overstepped political and moral decencies. They showed political naïvety driven by personal ambition and gain. The greater good and interest of Afar people is not part of their goal. They have a personal selfish agenda. “Make Afar Great Again” for them is an alien concept.


In September 2018, Dr Konte, Afar People Party Chairman and Mr Gaas Afar Human Rights Organisation race to Ethiopia to take part in the democratic glasnost brought in by the new Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed.


They both fell foul by not consulting with their Afar opposition colleagues. They did not consult with their grassroots or with Afar people either. They did not tell them this our project and vision. What do you think about it? Do you endorse it? If you don’t. What are your demands, your instruction? Give us a clear mandate to take your manifesto to negotiate, on your behalf, with the Ethiopian Federal and Afar Regional authorities.


They have done none of the above. They were used to the old TPLF rogue regime way of doing politics. Co-opting candidates and by-passing people will to choose their representatives. They both failed and left empty handed.


The new regime, in Addis Abeba, believes in Democratic values and not on dodgy deals that brought the TPLF regime demise. This equate to the first false start for the amateurs Dr Konte and Mr Gaas.


You would think they learned their lesson from the first failure. We all heard about the expression “hindsight is a wonderful thing.” They did not use their previous unfortunate experience to start again on the right foot.


They fell victims to their selfish and personal ambitions. We all know that ambition without conscience is doomed to failure. Edmund Burke said "Ambition can creep as well as soar”.


They creeped in a second time. They made the same selfish amateurish mistakes. This time they became very opportunistic. They decided to take advantage from a tragedy, the war between Afars and Issas. They showed once again they don’t have Afar people interest at heart.


They haven’t denounced or condemned Issa Al-Shabab terroristes agression and occupation of Afarland in Gadmaytu, Undafa’o and Adaytu.


The Issas terrorists groupes occupied these three Afar localities, lowered and burned Afar Regional State flag and raised the Somali Regional one. Heavily armed Issas Al Shabab terrorists killed Afar civilians and Afar polices officers in those three localities.


Dr Konte and Mr Gaas did not go to those three localities where braves Afar were battling with armed terrorists defending their land to show support. No!!!!


Dr Konte, Mr Gaas raced to Addis Abeba to take selfies with the Ethiopian Peace Minister Muferiat Kamil who organised a mediation meeting between the Somali Regional President Mustafe Mohamed Omar and the corrupt Afar Regional President Arba Awal.


Mr Arba a remnant of ADPA TPLF Manjuus clique is at the source of the current conflict between Afar and Issas. His Afar administration illegally settled, Issas, in these three localities by taking bribes paid by Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, the Djibouti Dictator, a well known backer of Al Shabab Terrorist Group.


The same group that committed a terrorist attack in Nairobi hotel, in Kenya , this week. When the time comes Dr Konte, Mr Arba and their predecessors Sirro and Siyyum will be summoned to appears in Court to answer treason and corruption charges.


Let’s note that once again Dr Konte, Mr Gaas did not seek Afar people mandate. As usual, they went there to represent their own self interest.


It is reported that the Somali Region President Mustafa Mohamed Omar agreed that the three localities belong to Afar Region. Whoever, the Somali Regional President demands that they have their own Issa Police and Armes forces, own Somali separate education. Last but not the least Afars cannot live in these three localities. They are exclusively Issas localities.


Afar are victims of apartheid policy on their own land. A state within a state. An unacceptable Issa diktat. It is completely against Internal law, Ethiopian Federal and Afar Regional State Constitution. The sovereignty solely resides with the Afar Regional State and Afar people.


The Issas have the same rights as all other Ethiopians. Nothing more. They settled in Afar Region within the same rule that applies for all the other Ethiopian nationalities. The three localities allocated exclusively to Issas and excluding Afars from it are illegals settlements and unacceptables.


If Issas want to live, on exclusively Somalis occupied land, they can move back to Somali Region. That’s the only option on the table.


On Afar Region only two flags will flies on the mats, like in every Ethiopian regional States. Ethiopia’s Federal flag and the Regional State flag. In Afar Region, the Ethiopian Federal Flag and Afar Regional flag.


Dr Konte personal ambition have no boundaries. It extends to the family circle. His nephew, Moussa Adem Omar, a Jigjiga University professor, in Somali Region capital, was pictured with Romio Maslah, an Issa extremist who armes and finances Issas Al-Shabab terrorists. Maslah is the man who bought and delivered the guns that are killing Afar braves on the battle front. His nephew, his sister son is conniving with a man whose weapons are killing Afar civilians, Afar Police and Afar Armes Forces.


One can assume that treason runs in the family. Afar lives and Afar people land is not their cup of tea. He has also been picture with Issa Ugass Mustafa Mohamed. Is Moussa Adem Omar, Dr Konte and Sultan Hanfareh emissary sent to Issa? If he is. Who gave them the mandate to speak with the Issa enemy when they are invading Afar land and killing Afar civilians?


One more time, I will take the sprint analogy. Time and time again, Dr Konte and Mr Gaas failed to abide by the rules. He failed Afar cause and Afar national interest. He showed contempt to Afar heroes sacrifices and deaths. In time of war he is conniving with the enemy. He completely capitulated in face of challenges and from his responsibilities as a political party leader.


In all of this there is the deafening silence of Afar People Party’s morale beacon, Sultan Hanfareh Ali Mirah, on Issa agression against Afar. There is no word of support for Afar cause. There is no condamnation of Issa murderous attacks or support for the Afar resistants. One can asked oneself why is Hanfareh Ali Mirah silent? Are Dr Konte and Mr Gaas acting from their own initiative or with his blessings?


Afar people believe there is a grave political vacuum in Afar Regional State compared to other Regional States. In Oromia, Amhara, Somali and other Regions a political process and dialogue was established. All Armed Groups OLF, ADFM, ONLF.... were brought into the fold to take part in the democratic process.


The question on every Afar lips is. Why is Afar Region is treated differently? Why is ARDUF/Uguugumo, Afar is kept, at arm length and not included, after agreeing to pursue their political aims through peaceful means, in the Afar Regional process?


We, Afar people, demand that ARDUF/Uguugumo is immediately included, in the political process in Afar Region.
We, Afar People, call on the Ethiopian Federal Government to act as an honest broker when it comes to Afar people. So far, no previous Federal Ethiopian Government, from Imperial time to date, has been an honest broker when it comes to Afar people.


It is everybody knowledge that the Afar Regional current administration does not represent Afar people. It is quite, the opposite, they hinder and sell Afar people interests and sovereignty to stay in power. There are eternal “Yes” men and women. “Ishi” en Amharic.


Dr Konte Afar People Party Chairman and Arba Awal, Afar Regional State agreed to the Somali Region President diktat. They must be prosecuted for corruption treason and treason.


If the situation stay like it is. The war situation and instability risks to get out of hand. Let’s not play the old political failed cards of divide and conquer. I urge Ethiopia’ Federal Government to act before Afars lose faith on Ethiopia’s nation ideal. Time is of the essence.




Mohamed Hassan Fln
Xukko Cina ( Baxi nagreh meqem baxo ).